A Glimpse of Truth
by Angelswrath
Summary: Team seven ends up with more than they can handle and Sakura gets a glimpse of the real Sasuke.


**A Glimpse of Truth**

The eerie silence was what bothered him the most. It was justifiably unnerving as the young man was convinced that the noisy forest in which he traveled was never quiet. _Never._

Crimson eyes scanned the surrounding area for possible threats, as the disconcerting feeling grew stronger with each bated breath. The sensation was mildly suffocating, and the disciplined warrior struggled against the overwhelming panic that threatened to take hold.

Gathering the last of his remaining chakra, Uchiha Sasuke reluctantly admitted the humiliating truth to himself. _We never should have come._

The level-headed genin had not resigned himself to death quite yet, but he was beginning to accept the brutal reality of the futile situation. Sasuke couldn't help but feel a moment's resentment at his impatient loudmouthed teamate who had refused to listen to reason.

_"You're late," Sakura mumbeled to her errant sensei, as he materialized lazily in front of his three subordinates. He noticed that her voice lacked its usual indignation, as she had finally learned that Kakashi-sensei arrived on time for no one._

The jounin in question gifted them with a small smile before lowering his novel, careful not to wrinkle any of the weathered pages. "I'm going to be cancelling training for this afternoon," Kakashi said quietly, preparing himself for the onslaught of complaints he knew would be headed his way.

His team did not disappoint.

"Cancelling training," Sakura asked in confusion, "but why?" The annoyed girl rolled her eyes as she was forced to raise her voice in order to be heard over Naruto's incessant whining.

Sasuke remained silent, assessing his teacher's unusually serioius expression, and concluded that he had been told something of the utmost importance. Kakashi confirmed his suspicions a moment later.

"I've been issued a mission," Kakashi explained, "and I will not return in time to instruct you."

"A mission?" Sakura asked emerald eyes lighting with newfound interest.

An irritated look entered the man's eyes briefly as he recalled the earlier briefing. A series of small robberies had been occuring in Konoha as of late. The culprit? A disgruntled genin who had understandably failed the first portion of the Chuunin exam. Initially the thefts had been so inconsequential that they'd almost been classified as pranks. But that misconception had been discovered the moment the irate ninja had seriously injured one of his recent victims.

Instantly escalating his capture to a top priority. And Kakashi was one of the best at retrieving "lost" citizens of Konoha.

Making short work of explaining the unfortunate situation, he was not surprised by a certain boy's reaction. "Take us with you!" an excited Naruto demanded, glancing at his comrades for support.

Kakashi seemed to be pondering the possible fallout from such an action when Sasuke finally spoke up.

"The mission you described is obviously a B or C ranked mission," Sasuke stated in confusion. "Why was it assigned to you?"

An amused smirk crossed Kakashi's features as he reflected upon the astuteness of his young ninja. "After his last attack the council was not sure if the suspect was altogether balanced," Kakashi explained delicately.

"You mean mentally?" Sakura asked with a concerned glance. Kakashi nodded in agreement.

"You mean he's crazy?!" Naruto asked bluntly, his excitement building even further.

Sasuke released an exasperated sigh at his teamate's lack of subtlety, and watched as Kakashi smothered a small laugh. "That's a possibility," Kakashi explained, "which is why a Jounin was sent instead."

"I still think you should take us with you," Naruto argued. "We won't be in the way we promise!"

Kakashi glanced at the others for confirmation. "You alone would be enough to subdue him," Sakura agreed hesitantly, not wanting to squash her friend's enthusiasm. Kakashi nodded his assent but waited silently for Sasuke's answer.

Sasuke couldn't help but acknowledge the doubt creeping into his thoughts. Something about the entire situation had seemed wrong from the beginning. Something about the way Kakashi-sensei had described the robberies. "I don't think we should go," he answered honestly.

He ignored the looks of astonishment they all sent his way as Naruto launched into his persuasive arguement of why they should be allowed to go. Complete with heartfelt whines and exclaimations of "this is my way of the ninja". Refusing to be subjected to the boy's complaining all day Sasuke finally nodded in agreement.

The thief was only a genin after all. . .

Sa suke had been outvoted.

And now they were outranked and outnumbered.

The time for retreat had long since passed and there was nothing between them and the enemy that stalked them soundlessly.

"The lone Genin" had not been so easy to conquer.

And he had not been alone. _Not in the least. And his allies had not been genin by any means._

While tracking the mysterious thief through the forest on the outskirts of Konoha they'd realized that very significant detail. An enormous amount of gathering chakra in the distance had drawn all of their immediate attention.

Kakashi had then quickly decided that the mission had just become too dangerous to include the three of them. Ordering them to return to the village in a voice so demanding that it was almost unrecognizable he'd disappeared into the foilage towards the direction of the power source. Realizing the seriousness of the situation the three had fled back towards the safety of the village.

But, none of them would ever make it.

_It had been an ambush!_

Laying exhausted in her rather pathetic position in the dirt, Sakura could not stop her mind from analyzing the grave situation. The more she deduced the more her body trembled in fear.

The multiple accomplices.

The pranks changing in nature but escalating in violence, as if completing a specific challenge each time.

_It made perfect sense now. Most things did in hindsight._

The robberies had not been done in revenge. _Well, not completely in revenge._

The crimes had been an initiation. Into what Sakura did not know, but cringing from her makeshift hiding place on the forest floor she did know that they had somehow become the thief's next "assignment".

Sakura struggled to accept the unbelievable fact that they'd all been completely fooled. _Even Kakashi-sensei._ The building chakra had been an obvious distraction. _A way to seperate him from the rest of the group. At least long enough for the thief and his fellow initiates to deal with us._

Sakura shook with the icy certainty that they had somehow been condemned to die. It was the only logical conclusion left.

Struggling to slow her breathing Sakura attempted to understand the mind of an individual who could completely disregard the honor code that had been instilled in them all since birth. To kill was a ninja's duty. It was never done for the sheer pleasure of it.

The young woman tensed as all noise in the surrounding trees ceased abruptly. _They know I'm here._

Sasuke's plan must have failed after all, she realized hopelessly. The self-sacrificing young man had agreed to lead them away from the others as they would go and bring back help from the village.

The plan had seemed to work as Sasuke had diverted many of their pursuers off the path and into the dense thicket of the forest beyond. Sound had returned to the area and she and Naruto had made a desperate scramble for the village perimeter.

She'd believed they would make it, only to watch in horror as a masked figure snatched Naruto off of the beaten path and into the surrounding darkness.

She had remained frozen in place, her heart in her throat, as she listened for any sign of her friend. _There'd been nothing._

And now she lay motionless in the dark, unsure if any besides her still survived. A part of her was resigned to the defeat, but another demanded that she not give up. _I owe all of them that._

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise as the noise of a small explosion registered in her ears. _Someone was alive!_

Leaping from the bushes into the relative safety of the tree above her, Sakura listened for any hint to the origin of the sound. When the crackling explosion rang out a second time Sakura's heart leapt into her throat. She recognized the distinctive sound of her teammates' fire jutsu.

_Sasuke!_

The emotional girl leapt blindly towards the sound. Never seeing the barrage of kunai that were flung into her now vacant hiding place.

S moke and ash surrounded him, but Sasuke was still not certain that he'd even hit his opponent. His chakra was long gone and both he and his enemy were well aware of this fact. He'd used an amazing amount just attempting to outrun the hordes that had endlessly chased him. He had nothing left.

Sasuke sensed the movement behind him but could not react in time to avoid the hit.

The fist plowed into his abdomen, lifted him from the ground, and hurled him at an outcropping of stones. The boy winced at the impact as his own vision betrayed him, blurring his surroundings in and out of focus at will.

The figure rushed towards him, kunai in hand, intent on the kill. Sasuke rose to his feet, fighting for breath, as he braced himself for their final confrontation.

A small rustling of leaves from above was his only warning as a figure leapt to the ground in front of him. _Sakura!_ Parrying the ninja's deadly strike with a kunai of her own, Sasuke's eyes widened as the girl dealt him a blow to the throat intended to stun.

Her opponent gagged and reeled backwards in complete disbelief, as fury entered his gaze. She spared him a small glance over her shoulder, but kept her attention focused on the ninja recovering before their eyes.

"Run!" she whispered urgently as she dodged the shiruken the man hurled at her head. _Run? She's couldn't possibly be serious._ Sasuke watched in astonishment as Sakura channeled her chakra into her feet as she used her remaining speed to leap from tree top to tree top, avoiding the brunt of the ninja's blows.

She was drawing his attention away from him he realized. _She's attempting to protect me. Again._

The woman threw a handful of kunai at the rapidly approaching man, which he dodged easily, kunai imbedding into the large tree behind him. She released an outraged shriek as the man tackled her roughly to the ground.

Sasuke scrambled desperatly to his feet, expecting to hear her scream silenced at any moment. The last thing he'd expected to hear was a deafening explosion and the man's wails of agony.

The stunned boy stared at the writhing ninja. _Or what was left of him._ The most kind-hearted ninja he'd ever known had stuck an exploding tag to the man's back. _She'd killed him! To protect me?_

Sakura panted heavily as if attempting to say something. Sasuke struggled to read her lips at a distance and failed.

He heard the rustle of the dying ninja's comrades in the tree above him a moment too late.

They were descending upon him when a massive explosion erupted behind him.

He'd barely moved out of the way as the exploding tags Sakura had wrapped around her kunais exploded. _So she'd meant to hit the tree after all!_ Sasuke realized with newfound admiration. The screams of the falling ninja were muffled by the deafening noise of the massive tree's impromptu descent.

Turning to glance at the brave young woman his eyes widened in shock. The girl had fell to her knees from sheer exhaustion and shock.

Directly in the path of the falling tree!

The girl had never killed before, and the ramifications of her actions were beginning to settle in, causing her reactions to be sluggish and slow. That combined with the fact that she had depleted most of her chakra, Sasuke knew the reckless girl would never make it.

The boy surged towards her, a dangerous combination of speed and building power. Ignoring the familiar twinge in his neck Sasuke plowed into the astonished girl a fraction of a second before the enormous tree caused the ground to shake with its impact.

Sakura blinked her stinging eyes, dust settling around them, as she stared up at her panting rescuer. He had never paused in his dead sprint as he'd grabbed ahold of her and hurled them out of the way. The impact against the tree had hurt, but it had definitely been better than being crushed beneath it. _How had he moved so fast?_

Green eyes roamed over him assuring herself that he was unhurt. Her gaze locked onto the black marks creeping up the skin of his neck and face. _He'd released his seal! But I thought he didn't have any chakra left._

Sasuke turned blood red eyes upon her and Sakura gasped at the flicker of emotion she saw there.

"Are you alright?" she asked, fearing he had been damaged more than she'd realized.

The choked laugh that came from his mouth caused her to jump in surprise. The laugh sounded almost rusty. As if he hadn't done it in a very long time. "Am I alright?" he whispered incredously. "You're kidding right?"

She shook her head honestly, causing the young man holding her to erupt into full out laughter. A soft wind blew past, whipping her hair past her face, aiding in removing the dust still lingering in the air.

"What possessed you to jump in front of me?" Sasuke asked quietly, never releasing her from his tightening hold. His head fell onto her shoulder as he finally drew in a proper breath.

"Sasuke-kun?" she mumbeled, her voice trembling at his confusing actions. _He's never acted this way before._

"You're going to get yourself killed, you little idiot," he whispered. Her body jumping at his breathing so close to her skin. _Should I be offended?_

That was the question Sakura could not answer.

His words were harsh, implying that she was inept as a ninja. _But the way he said it. . ._

She shivered just thinking about it. _And why hasn't he let me go?_

She gasped as soft lips grazed over the sensitive skin of her neck. A momentary whisper of motion that was gone as quickly as it had come.

Her eyes flew to his sharingan shrouded gaze. The blood line limit of the Uchiha clan could not hide the tender look that had flickered through their depths.

"Sakura?" he whispered.

"Yes?"

He gripped her arms tightly, squeezing slightly harder than was neccessary to assure her cooperation. "Don't ever do that again," he ordered with quiet seriousness. He didn't wait for her answer as he released her so suddenly that her legs buckled.

A strong arm stopped her rapid descent. _Kakashi-sensei!_

She heard Naruto's voice recounting his miraculous rescue by Kakashi moments before he appeared beside her. Her sigh of relief was audible as she realized that the only casualties in the previous battle had been their opponents.

Kakashi was explaining the ramifications of the ambush to Naruto and a silent Sasuke. _It's as if it never happened_, Sakura realized as she watched his bored gaze land upon her then move on as if he found her uninteresting.

Her heart lurched painfully as Kakashi announced their departure. Sakura sighed in disappointment as the three of them leapt onto the teetering branches of one of the remaining trees. Her sad eyes stared at Naruto and Kakashi as they disappeared into the dense leaves of the the forest. _Maybe it had meant nothing to him?_

"Sakura!" a voice yelled out in obvious irratation. Sasuke's gaze locked with hers as his voice softened noticeably. "You coming?" Sakura's eyes widened at the look that entered his eyes momentarily, before being shoved behind his familiar facade of indifference.

She couldn't help the small smile that spread across her face. _Maybe it had meant something to him after all._


End file.
